June 24, 2015

U.S. Crop Conditions Decline due to Wetness

Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.

Corn - The condition of the 2015 U.S. corn crop declined 2% last week to 71% rated good to excellent. Ten states indicated that the corn condition had improved last week while 8 states indicated that the corn condition had declined last week. Most of the improvements were found in the western and northern Corn Belt and most of the declines were found in the eastern and southern Corn Belt. The top five rated corn states are: Pennsylvania, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Tennessee. The five states with the lowest rated corn are: Missouri, Kansas, Indiana, North Carolina, and Ohio.

While the condition of the corn declined in the eastern and southern Corn Belt due to excessive moisture, the corn crop in the western and northern Corn Belt responded favorably to the improved weather conditions. The corn crop is rated lower than last year and only slightly better than the long term average.

Soybeans - The condition of the 2015 U.S. soybean crop declined 2% last week and it is now rated 65% good to excellent. Nine states indicated that the soybean condition improved last week while 8 states indicated that the soybean condition had declined last week. Most of the improvements were found in the west and northwestern Corn Belt and most of the declines were found in the eastern Corn Belt. The top five rated soybean states are: Wisconsin, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, and North Dakota. The five states with the lowest rated soybeans are: Missouri, Kansas, Indiana, Louisiana, and Ohio.

Soybeans do not like wet conditions early in the growing season and that has now been evident for two weeks in a row with many states reporting stressed soybeans and slow and uneven growth due to the saturated conditions. The soybean crop continues to be rated below last year and it is now essentially equal to the long term average.

Soil moisture - The nation's topsoil got wetter last week with 10 states indicating that the soils got wetter and 7 states indicating that the soils got dryer. Most of soils that got wetter were found in the eastern Corn Belt while most of the soils that got dryer were found in the western and southern locations. The five states with the wettest soils are: Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan. The five states with the driest soils are: North Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Dakota, and Kentucky.

The remnants of Tropical Storm Bill dropped a lot of rain last week from Texas all the way up the Ohio River Valley into the eastern Corn Belt resulting in widespread saturated conditions. The soils in the western Corn Belt dried out somewhat last week, but the nation as a whole is still wetter than last year and the long term average.